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LETTER  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY 
SUBMITTING  THE  REPORT  OF  THE  AUDITOR, 


Confederate  States  of  America^  } 
Treasury  Department, 
Richmond,  Va.,  Sept.  5,  1862.      ) 

Hon.  Thos.  S.  Bocock, 

Speaker  House  of  Representatives,  C.  S.  A.  : 

Sir  :  In  response  to  a  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
adopted  August  26th,  1862,  asking  for  the  number'  of  soldier  and 
other  claims  on  file  in  the  Second  Auditor's  office  for  adjustment,  the 
length  of  time  they  have  been  on  file,  and  the  reason  they  have  not 
been  earlier  acted  on,  I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  herewith  a  report 
from  the  Second  Auditor,  giving  the  desired  information.  I  have  to 
state,  in  addition,  that  the  full  complement  of  clerks  allowed  by  law 
has  not  hitherto  been  made  for  two  reasons  :  First — Because  the  ab- 
sence of  papers,  as  stated  by  the  Auditor,  would  prevent  their  dis- 
charging their  duties  ;  and,  secondly — that  until  the  present  week, 
sufficient  office  accommodation  could  not  be  procured  for  the  use  of 
this  Bureau. 

Respectfully, 

C.  G.  MEMMINGER, 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 


J* 


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http://www.archive.org/details/letterofsecretarOOconf 


REPORT  OF  THE  SECOND  AUDITOR, 


Treasury  Department,  C.  S.,         ) 

Second  Auditor's  Office,       > 

September  3d,  1862.  ) 

Hon.  Thos.  S.  Bocock, 

Speaker  House  of  Representatives  : 

Sik  :  I  have  been  furnished  by  the  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives with  a  copy  of  a  resolution  of  said  House,  of  August  2(>th, 
as  follows  : 

"  Ri solved,  That  the  Second  Auditor  be  required  to  report  to  this 
House,  at  as  early  a  day  as  practicable,  the  number  of  soldier  and 
other  claims  on  file  in  his  office  for  adjustment,  the  length  of  time 
they  have  been  on  file,  and  the  reason  they  have  not  been  earlier  acted 
upon." 

In  compliance  with  the  above  call,  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that 
the  number  of  claims  for  arrears  of  pay  due  deceased  soldiers  •'  on 
file  in  this  office  for  adjustment"  (unsettled;  is  2,900.  As  to  the 
"  length  of  time  they  have  been  on  file,"  it  would  be  impossible  to 
state  precisely,  without  preparing  a  minute  statement  in  detail,  show- 
ing the  date  at  which  each  case  was  filed.  They  have  come  in  daily 
since  1st  January  last  up  to  the  present  day;  a.  very  few  cases,  still 
unsettled,  running  back  so  far  as  the  first-named  date.  "  The  reasons 
these  claims  have  not  been  acted  upon  "  arc  : 

1st — The  passage  of  An  Act  of  Congress,  approved  February  15, 
I SG2,  which  was  construed  as  intending  "  to  take  the  settlement  of 
soldiers1  claims  from  the  Auditor,  and  devolve  it  upon  the  Quarter- 
masters of  the  respective  regiments.  Thus  their  examination  and 
settlement  was  suspended  in  this  office,  until,  at  my  suggestion,  the 
law  was  submitted  to  the  Attorney  General,  who,  on'  the  9th  of  May, 
1862,  communicated  his  opinion,  that  said  act  did  not  intend  to  dis- 
pense with  an  audit  by  the  proper  Auditing  Office  prior  to  payment  by 
the  Pay  Department  of  the  Army,  as  directed  by  the  2d  section,  and 
they  were  again  proceeded  with. 

2d — The  removal  from  this  city  in  June  last,  by  the  Adjutant  and 
Quartermaster  Generals,  because  of  the  proximity  of  the  enemy,  of 
the  muster  and  pay-rolls,  to  which  daily  reference  was  indispensable 
in  making  settlements  of  these  claims,  which  was,  therefore,  suspend- 
ed during  the  absence  of  those  records ,  and  further  hindrance  was 
experienced  by  the  packing  up  in  boxes,  made  expressly  for  the  pur- 


pose,  of  all  the  records,  books  and  papers  of  this  office,  (except  a  few 
in  daily  use)  ready  to  be  moved  at  a  moment's  notice  to  a  place  of 
security,  in  case  the  safety  of  the  city  should  have  been  seriously  en- 
dangered by  the  presence  of  the  enemy. 

.  3d — The  failure  in  many  instances  of  captains  to  send  in  their  mils 
to  the  proper  department,  arising  partly,  I  presume,  from  the  constant 
movement  of  troops  and  casualties  of  service. 

4th — The  want  of  sufficient  clerical  force  to  bring  up  arrears  arising 
as  before  stated,  and  to  keep  pace  with  the  immensely  increasing  cur- 
rent influx  of  these  claims.  I  may  remark  that  a  large  portion  of 
these  claims,  thus  reported  as  remaining  unsettled,  have  been  regu- 
larly taken  up  and  examined,  hut  have  been  suspended  and  laid  aside, 
for  want  of  necessary  proof,  evidence  of  service,  etc. 

The  number  of  claims,  other  than  deceased  soldiers,  "on  file  in  this 
office  for  adjustment,"  (comprising  claims  of  all  kinds  growing  out  of 
the  war,  but  principally  for  supplies  furnished)  is  07,  of  which  there 
have  been  examined  and  suspended  for  further  proof  30,  leaving  <i7. 
which  remain  unexamined,  and  of  which  nearly  all  were  received  in 
the  last  month,  August. 

This  statement  does  not  include  claims  of  the  State  of  South  Car- 
olina, under  the  act  of  December  1 1th,  1861,  a  portion  of  which  re- 
mains unsettled  ;  or  of  the  States  of  Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  under 
the  act  of  August  30th,  1861,  for  which  there  has  been  no  appropria- 
tion by  Congress. 

I  beg  leave  respectfully  in  conclusion  to  state  that  the  force  of  this 
office  is  now,  and  always  has  been,  greatly  inadequate  to  the  public 
wants,  and  most  earnestly  to  suggest  the  absolute  necessity  of  its 
being  at  once  heavily  increased,  in  order  that  the  public  accounts  ami 
claims  may  be  properly  disposed  of.  One  hundred  intelligent,  indus- 
trious accountants  is  the  minimum  number  that  would  be  sufficient  lor 
the  purpose. 

I  am,  very  respectfully. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  II.  S.  TAYLOR, 

Auditor. 


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